Outdoor drinking banned all year round in Shibuya, Japan
Starting October 1, the Shibuya authorities in Tokyo have begun a year-round ban on outdoor drinking at night, marking the first time in Japan that a region has introduced a year-round nighttime outdoor drinking ban.
According to NHK, after COVID-19 was downgraded to influenza in Japan in 2023, young people and foreigners around Shibuya station often drank on the street, causing drunkenness and garbage problems.
In June, the Shibuya district council passed an amendment to the ordinance to extend the nighttime outdoor drinking ban on Halloween and New Year's Eve to all year round. After the amendment came into effect, people around Shibuya Station will be prohibited from drinking alcohol in public places such as streets and parks from 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. the next day, all year round. The ban will also be extended to the area around the Shibuya office and the east side of Miyashita Park.
However, it was reported that people will not be penalized for violating the ban.
Shibuya authorities say they have been urging people not to drink on the streets in the past, but with limited success. After the new ordinance comes into effect, officials will provide guidance to violators under the ordinance, in hopes of effectively curbing street drinking and improving the public environment and law and order.
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